Henrietta Barnett Round 2 English: what to practise
HBS Round 2 English lasts 60 minutes, and families report long written answers. The skill to practise is turning one line into several sentences: a point, a short quotation, an explanation, then a second point.
The paper
Round 2 is English and maths at Key Stage 2 level: 60 minutes of English and 50 of maths, on 6 October 2026 for invited girls.
What families describe
- Three questions needing long answers, close to a page each.
- Girls who answer in one line run out of things to say.
- A format that changes each year.
So practise writing at length about a passage, not one layout.
Three things each week
- Stretch one short answer to four sentences: add the proof and what it shows.
- Make two points, each with its own quotation.
- Plan for five minutes, then write an opening for ten.
From one line to a full answer
Worked example Stretch it
Read: “Mira counted the stairs aloud at first, then stopped counting.” Question: how do Mira’s feelings change as she climbs? A girl writes: “She gets less scared.”
Answer: Mira seems nervous at first, counting the stairs aloud perhaps to calm herself in the dark. When she “stopped counting”, the climb takes her attention and her fear fades into curiosity.
The trap: “She gets less scared” names the change but gives no proof and no explanation.
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